Stanford's Ryan Whalen pulls down a pass in the third Quarter over Cal's Bernard Hicks as California defeats Stanford, 37-16 in the annual Big Game in Berkeley, Calif, on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008.

Photo: Kurt Rogers, The Chronicle

Stanford's Ryan Whalen pulls down a pass in the third Quarter over...

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Stanford's Doug Baldwin scores a touchdown in the fourth quarter as Stanford tries for a comeback.California defeated Stanford 37-16 in the annual Big Game in Berkeley, Calif, on Saturday, Nov. 22, 2008.

Stanford's leading receiver from 2008, Ryan Whalen, is back. So is the Cardinal's leading receiver from 2006, Richard Sherman, although he's expected to play only a limited role on offense because he's probably going to start at cornerback.

It would seem that Stanford's receiving corps has been upgraded, but there's some uncertainty about the group. After all, the Cardinal averaged 152 yards a game passing last year, and the wide receivers, excluding Sherman, have only five touchdown catches to their name.

Nobody really knows how quickly they'll mesh with redshirt freshman quarterback Andrew Luck in game situations. In any case, Stanford isn't likely to unleash an aerial circus because the offense will revolve around the school's record-setting running back.

"We've got the best back in the Pac-10, Toby Gerhart, and we've got a real good line," Whalen said. "First and foremost, we'll be a running team."

Whalen led the team in receiving last year, with 41 catches for 508 yards and a touchdown. He started seven games. The 6-foot-2, 205-pound junior from Monte Vista-Danville figures to improve on all those categories this year, if only because of Luck's accuracy and arm strength.

Whalen entered Stanford as a recruited walk-on in 2007, after turning down scholarship offers from several schools. He earned a scholarship three weeks into training camp. "He's our leader, Mr. Consistency," said David Shaw, the offensive coordinator and receivers coach.

Owusu, a 6-foot-2 speedster, might be the other starter for the opener at Washington State. He was having a great camp last year until he tore knee ligaments in the final scrimmage. He came back to play five games.

Coach Jim Harbaugh calls him one of the most improved players on the team since the end of last season. At Stanford, he's looking for his first TD catch and could be on the verge of a breakout year.

Owusu, formerly one of Notre Dame QB Jimmy Clausen's main targets at Oaks Christian High School in Westlake Village (Los Angeles County), is confident of big things for the whole receivers group. "Our goal was to catch 8,000 balls each over the summer," he said. "Everyone reached it."

Another deep threat is Baldwin, a junior who started nine games last year and caught four TD passes. His 61-yard score on a pass from Tavita Pritchard against Washington was Stanford's longest pass play of 2008.

The most touted of the freshmen is 6-foot-3 Jamal-Rashad Patterson, an all-state player from Georgia who won state track titles in both the 110- and 300-yard hurdles, breaking the state record in the latter.

"I love track, but I love football to death," he said.

During Friday's practice, he made a fingertip catch of a 40-yard throw by Pritchard. "He's still learning the offense, still catching up to college football to a certain degree," Shaw said. "But he's not far away."

Shaw said he wouldn't be surprised if Patterson and fellow freshmen Drew Terrell and Jemari Roberts all played this year.

Sherman is a known quantity, a 17-yards-per-catch man for his three seasons. After last season, he asked to move to the secondary and will fill a cornerback void, but he'll see spot duty on offense as one of Harbaugh's two-way experiments. Griff Whalen, no relation to Ryan, made the team as a walk-on last year, and 6-foot-5 Warren Reuland also is in the mix.

"We've been bouncing between three and four receivers for two years," Shaw said. "To be effective throughout a season, you've got to have six."

Briefly: The opener at Washington State will start at 3 p.m. Sept. 5, it was determined recently. The game will be available in the Bay Area only on Comcast on the Fox College Sports Pacific channel (415), a premium sports channel.